The Air Power Development Centre Futures area is divided into two sections: Futures Analysis and Future Concepts. The Futures Analysis section researches possible longer-term future air and space power environments. These assessments provide a context for concept development and their experimentation. The Future Concepts section considers possible longer-term future air power environments and develops concepts for the future employment of air power. These concepts should provide a suitable basis for subsequent experimentation activity, strategic planning, capability development and doctrine.

Currently work is being undertaken to develop a Future Air Warfighting Concept as the main Future Air Operating Concept for Air Force. Other, subordinate concepts will also be developed during the year. These may include the Air Force's interpretation of what Network Centric Warfare and Effects-Based Operations mean for Air Force operations.

	MILITARY EXPERIMENTATION The application of the principles of experimental science to the process of exploring innovative methods of operation, especially to assess their feasibility, evaluate their utility and determine their limits.

Experimentation

Within Air Force, Experimentation is employed as part of a broader transformation strategy, which uses experimental techniques to explore and validate concepts, and to provide information on the capabilities required to implement those concepts.

In practical terms, Air Force experimentation is focused principally on providing guidance to aid the development of the Defence Capability Planning Guide (DCPG), where it is used in conjunction with a number of other tools and information sources to develop a consolidated picture of future capability requirements. Some of the tools and information sources which compliment experimentation include project-related studies, Concept Technology Demonstrators (CTDs), technology reviews and intelligence assessments.